Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-19

The special senate committee which will meet
this fall TO consider the whole subject Of railroads
In the District WILL part OF It's duties, overhaul
WashihgtonS street railway system. Among the
many Interesting questions which VIII arise In the
consideration OF the matter Is the subject OF the
most desirable motive power for By these rail-
ways New cable or electric roads will be asking
franchises, the existing roads win be seeking per-
mission 10 substitute some more effective motor
for their horses, and the public will desire
that In this general regulation OF the
Railways the most efficient motor he
required by Congress which can he
obtained. IL IL evident that the car-horSes must
20. In winter and when great crowds are to be
transported the present service IS deficient, both
Passengers and horses suffer. and In waste OF
Aorseiesh, and otherwise present methods are I'M
necessarily expensive The inclination In this
city IL now toward cable roads. A new road with
the Cable system was proposed last winter, and
the managers OF the leading horse-faiiway OF the
city convinced OF the superiority OF that motor
and propose To substitute 1t for their horses Re-
cant experiments In Philadelphia attract renewed
attention To the OF electricity as motor. Both
cable and electric systems are faster md cheaper
To operate after first cost than the horsepower
system. The objection to them IS that all the
0ars are moved by one source o. power, and II
hitch occurs at one point the whole system Is at
q standstill In one form o11lectric railway there
q tina additional drawback 0a line OF poles and
overhead wires These objections do not apply,
however, to . system In which the cars are driven
separately by stored electricity from secondary
batteries placed In or beneath them, which is the
kind successfully tested In Philadelphia last week
At the Antwerp exhibition In 1885 careful expert
msnts were made upon different kinds Of tramway
motors, and electric cars with storage batteries
obtained the highest prize. Cars in present
use can be converted into electric motors
by inserting these storage batteries, each car runs
independently OF others, and no overhead wire or
underground conduit is necessary as In the case
Of direct supply OF current 70 all the cars from
single source. The operation Of the storage bat
terry cars Is, however, somewhat more expensive
than that OF cars furnished with direct supply
OF currsnt, but Is said TO be considerably less than
the cost OF operating horse-cars- Probably discus
sion and Investigation OF the matter will develop
that the choice Of motors Is between
the cable and the electric storage bat
tefy, and ths advantages OF each should be
carefully considered. Washington with ''its mag
nificent distances" needs facilities for rapid and
safe street transit. ALI sections OF the District
should be placed In easy communication with one
another. Wisdom on the part OF the Senate COM
mittee IN the regulation of the routes of lines
OF railwa y and In the selection OF the best motor
for street railway which the latest tests dis
close. viii add largely to the comfort and eonyen-
fence OF Washing tOnianS and TO the development
OF al parts OF the District.